Medical Treatments for Panic Attacks in Children

There are many issues that arise when one considers treating children who are experiencing panic attacks with prescription drugs.  For instance, many parents are hesitant to administer drugs that might affect a children's brain because they are unsure of what the long-term side effects may be.  However, if non-medical intervention has proven to be unsuccessful, and children are still having panic attacks, it may be time for more drastic measures.

Treating children with drugs in order to curtail panic attacks should never be the first measure a parent takes, although it should certainly not be ruled out. In this way, it is similar to diabetes.  After diabetes in a child is diagnosed and it is ruled that the diabetes is not severe, a doctor will recommend some sort of dietary regulations; on the other hand, if the diabetes are considered severe, a doctor will have to enlist a different approach, which may involve some sort of medical treatment.  There is, in other words, a gradual process to the treatment of diabetes in children - as there is to panic attacks - starting with minor changes and then employing greater ones if necessary.  In some cases, however, when the panic attacks are exceptionally severe, it may be necessary to start a child off on drugs immediately. 

With drugs - including, Prozac, Paxil, Celexa, Zoloft, and Luvox, to name a few - a child suffering from attacks will be able to deal with many situations he or she may not have been able to deal with before the onset of the drugs.  These drugs help increase serotonin in the brain, which is responsible for such things regulate mood, control aggression, hamper sleep problems, and curb various compulsions, thereby eliminating panic attacks, raising a child's level of enthusiasm, lowering depression levels, and, in short, allowing a child to live out the remainder of his or her youth happier.  It is important to note, however, that these drugs, like all drugs, have side effects, ranging from upset stomachs to diarrhea to things such as destructive behavior and possibly even suicidal tendencies.  In most cases, these problems occur during the first few months of usage, then wane, although it should be noted that any drug used to cure panic attacks should be administered in low dosages lest any problems become worse.    

 Not everyone responds the same to a medicine and in some instances these medications have shown to be unsuccessful.  When it is clear that the drug is not working, it should be discontinued, at which point either another medicine should be tried out or medical treatments should be stopped altogether.  Failure to stop a medical treatment that has proven to be ineffective can have a drastic effect on a child, and may even leave the child with permanent problems in the future.  Therefore, it is crucial to closely monitor how a child is reacting and if a child is benefiting from various drugs.  For the majority of children suffering from panic attacks, drugs have the desired effect, stopping the attacks, and for this reason they remain a popular choice for many parents with children who are suffering with this problem.   

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